Covid is driving French millennials to give urban naturism a try
Sans vêtements! French millennials – dubbed ‘the nudist 2.0’ – get a taste for urban naturism, baring all in parks, swimming pools and even museums
French millennials are giving naturism try to feel closer to nature, author claims 30 per cent of French nudists are under 30 and try the lifestyle in urban areasCoronavirus has acted as catalyst for young French people to try naturism out
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);
<!–
French millennials have apparently developed a penchant for naturism, seemingly as a way of trying to inject a little excitement into life while covid restrictions still reign.
Julien Claudé-Pénégry, spokesman of the Paris Naturist Association and co-author of the guide See France Naked, told the Le Parisien that naturism was on the rise across the country amongst young people aged between 18 and 25.
The author and experienced naturist said 30 per cent of the 2 million French people who like to bare all are under 30.
Traditionally, naturists have populated restricted beach areas where nudism is allowed and other designated areas, including its famous Village Naturiste, in Cap D’Adge in the country’s south, which is frequented by 45,000 people – naturists or the simply curious – every day.
More French millennials are turning to naturism to reconnect with nature, a nudist and author claims (pictured: a nude visitor at an art exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in 2019)
‘Naturism has always been for mixed ages. It’s above all a family affair. But recently, there has been an explosion among 18-to-25 year olds,’ Claudé-Pénégry said.
He said this generation of new, young naturists is a far cry from the usual stereotype of the older man playing boules.
He added covid-19 and several lockdowns have acted as catalyst for many who want to reconnect with the ‘essential’ and ‘get closer to nature.’
Figures from the French Naturist Federation show that roughly 600,000 French millennials are dropping their clothes and trying the lifestyle out.
Nudist holidaymakers, pictured, hit the beach at the Cap D’Agde, a famous beach resort in France
Roughly 400,000 French naturists are based around Paris, and they are pushing to be able to live their clothes-optional lifestyle near the capital.
In 2019, the council agreed to open a special naturist area in the Bois de Vincennes, located in the east end of Paris.
There have also been pro-naturists events organised around the city, including a special night opened to naturists at the Palais de Tokyo, a modern art venue in 2019 where nude patrons could stroll the museum at ease sans vetements.
During a similar night that same year, a play called ‘Nude and Approved’ was staged at the Palais des Glaces in front of a naked audience.
The new nudist wants to enjoy art and plays in the buff, a group of naturists in Paris have claimed (pictured: a woman at an art exhibition in Paris, in 2019)
A woman pictured buying vegetables in the nude in the 1980s at the Cap D’Adge nudist village in the South of France. New generations of nudists say they want to break the old stereotypes
It’s also going swimmingly for naturists in two pools in the capital where nude nights are on offer.
The ‘Young Naturists of France’ aimed at 18-to-35 year-olds, said they did not seek the old lifestyle of nudist colonies like the Village Naturiste.
A spokesperson said: ‘We are no longer motivated by health or sport but ecology and [the] desire to live differently by shedding the dictates of society.’
The organisation’s founder, known only as Alexandre, said young nudists wanted to experience new things with no clothes on, including going to plays and visiting museums.
Back in 2020, the Village Naturiste Cap d’Adge reported that 95 vacationers had tested positive for covid-19. The nudist resort contains multiple indoor areas, including shops, banks, restaurants, bars and clubs.
